Data centers are essential U.S. infrastructure—powering everything from healthcare systems and small businesses to streaming platforms and weather forecasts. A new ITI Institute report – Powering the Digital Economy: The Economic and Workforce Impact of Data Centers – examines how data centers are fueling U.S. competitiveness—supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, technological innovation, and national security. It also outlines stakeholder recommendations to ensure continued growth, sustainability, and inclusion across the sector.
Data centers power over 100 digital interactions per day for the average American. Whether storing medical records, enabling online banking, or supporting real-time communication, they are the unseen engines of modern life. With demand projected to quadruple in the next five years, data centers are foundational to AI, cloud computing, and emerging technologies.
While the United States currently leads the world in data center capacity, maintaining that leadership will require forward-thinking investments. The ITI Institute’s report highlights the critical role of public-private collaboration in scaling this infrastructure responsibly and effectively.
Data centers are powerful economic engines, contributing over $480 billion to the U.S. economy each year and supporting nearly 500,000 jobs across a wide range of sectors. These sectors include electricians, construction workers, HVAC technicians, logistics professionals, IT specialists, cybersecurity analysts, and data center operators.
The sector offers meaningful opportunities for upward mobility. Many roles do not require a four-year degree but provide family-sustaining wages and advancement potential. The report calls for targeted investments in workforce development that can prepare workers in both urban and rural communities to enter and grow in this high-demand field, including apprenticeships, community college partnerships, and upskilling programs.
Data centers remain a source of U.S. competitive advantage. “Data centers are the backbone of our digital economy,” said Ashley Berrang, Executive Director of the ITI Institute. “This report underscores their value not only in powering the technologies we rely on every day, but in strengthening our national security and driving inclusive economic growth. It’s time to treat them as the critical infrastructure they are.”
